Portable picnic table



Oct. 13, 1959 v H. E. TAYLOR 2,908,322

PORTABLE PICNIC TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 13, 1958 Harry E. Taylor INVENTOR.

H. E. TAYLOR PORTABLE PICNIC'TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1958 I'III'III II,

Harry E. Taylor 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent O,

PORTABLE PICNIC TABLE Harry E. Taylor, Clifton Forge, Va. Application February 13, 1958, Serial No. 715,053

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-124) This invention relates generally to'picnic tables and more particularly to a novel and improved construction in portable picnic tables.

Families who enjoy picnicking often have difiiculty in finding appropriate locations equipped with picnic facilities. Often a picnicking family will be compelled to simply spread a table cloth or blanket on the ground. However, this practice is often accompanied by the undesirable attraction of ants and bugs. With existing available portable tables, a large family would find it difficult if not impossible to carry along an appropriate eating surface. Therefore, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a lightweight picnic table and seating arrangement which is easily foldable and compactly portable and which comfortably accommodates a reasonably large family.

It is more particularly a further object of this invention to provide a portable picnic table which includes novel and improved folding means for allowing the table to be compactly folded.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a portable picnic table which utilizes the flat tablesurfaces for enclosing the accompanying table portion for forming a luggage-type structure.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a portable picnic table which is light in construction, structurally strong, reliable, eflicient, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

In accordance with the above stated objects, below is described a novel and improved portable picnic table construction including two hingedly connected flat substantially rectangular surfaces. A pivotally connected housing depends from each surface and resiliently and pivotally supports therefrom spaced supporting legs. The legs include a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion connected by a horizontal portion which is adapted to, support two hinged planks which serve as a bench for persons using the picnic table. Each of the flat surfaces include the depending peripheral wall which exteriorly carries handles thereon and cooperating latch means. The legs and bench portion are adapted to easily fold within the volume defined by the peripheral wall so as not to protrude above the wall. The two flat surfaces may then be pivoted to a superposed relationship with the peripheral walls forming the sides of a luggage-like structure.

' These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the portable picnic table comprising this invention in its folded form;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the portable picnic table in its open position;

2,983,322 Patented Oct. 13, 1959 plane 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the invention showing the portable picnic table in a partially folded condition.

With continuing reference to the drawings numeral 111 generally represents the portable picnic table shown in Figure l in its completely folded condition having a pair of substantially rectangular flat surfaces 12 and 14 which are hingedly connected to each other by conventional hinges 16 and 18. Each of the surfaces 12 and 14 include peripheral walls 20 and 22 which are formed integral with the flat surfaces 12 and 14 and depend therefrom.

A housing 24 and 25 is pivotally attached to the flat surfaces 12 and 14 and is carried therebeneath. The housing 24 is narrow and elongated and extends substantially the width of the surfaces. pivoted to the surface 14 by a hinge 26 which is affixed to the housing 24 and surface 14 as by welding. The hinge connection likewise, extends substantially the width of the flat surface. Pivotally connected to the housing at 28 is a link 30 which carries a pin 32 on an end remote from the pivotally connected end 28. The pin 32 is adapted to slide in a slotted U-shaped guide 34 which is slotted at 36. The guide 34 has a notch 38 and 40 at either end of the slot for retaining the pin 32 in a selective position. It should be apparent that the housing 24 is able to pivot about the hinge connection 26 and the pin 32 will slide in the slot 36. When it is desired to maintain the housing 24 perpendicular to the flat surface 14, the pin 32 will be in a position accommodated by notch 38 of slot 36. If the pin 32 is moved in the slot 36 to notch 40, the arm 30 will pull the housing 24 to a position virtually flush with the flat surface 14. The pin and slot connections particularly shown in Figure 4 are utilized in an identical manner at each of the two corners of each of the housings 24 and 25. It is further to be noted that a spring 42 is concentrically fitted over the pin 32 between the link 30 and the slotted leg of the U-shaped guide 34 so as to maintain the lever 30 properly in its guided path between the legs of the U-shaped guide 34.

Pivotally carried within each of the housings 24 and 25 are a pair of depending legs 44 and 46 which are pivoted to the housings at 48 and 58 respectively. An arm 52 is pivotally connected to the leg 44 at 54 and has a notch 56 therein for the accommodation of a pin 58 affixed to the housing 24. A spring 60 is retained between an eye 62 afiixed to the arm 52 and an eye 64 affixed to the leg 44 for resiliently forcing the arm 52 against the pin 58. As will be apparent, the relationship between the pin 52 and notch 56 will'prevent the pivotal movement of legs 44 about the pivotal connection 48. The arm 52 has an extended portion 66 to facilitate the manual depression of the arm 52 so as to release the pin 58 from the notch 56. r

It should now be apparent that the depending legs 44 and 46 are subjected to a combination movement which allows them to be folded under the fiat surfaces between the peripheral wall as is shown in Figure 7. More specifically, the housing 24 may be pivoted about the pivotal connection 26 by sliding pin 32 in slot 36. This allows the legs to be pivoted about an axis parallel to one pair of walls of the rectangular surface. Each of the legs may also be pivoted about pivotal connections The housing 24 is 3 48 and 50, that is about axes parallel to the other two walls of the rectangle, so as to allow the legs to converge at the lower portions so as to fit in the volume defined by the peripheral Wall.

Each of the legs, i.e. the four legs, two terminally supported on each flat surface, include a first vertical portion 78, a second vertical portion 72 and a horizontal connecting portion 74 formed integral therewith. Brace support means are provided as at 76 and 78 for giving extra structural rigidity to the legs. Each of the horizontal portions 74 includes a pair of apertures for the accommodation of pegs to be more fully described below.

A bench portion 80 has been devised to necessarily cooperate with the other elements of the portable picnic table 10. The bench portion 80 includes two elongated planks 82 and 84 which are hingedly connected to each other as at 86 by conventional hinge means. A pair of depending legs 88 and 90 are individually hinged on the outer edges of plank 84. A sheet metal strip 92 communicates the individual legs 88 and 90. The legs 88 and 90 which are pivotally connected as at 94 and 96 to the plank 84 are adapted to pivot in a manner so as to fall flush with the sides of the plank 84 with the sheet metal piece 92 limiting the pivotal movements of the legs about the pivotal connections. A hook member 98 is connected to the legs as at 100 and adapted to fit into an aperture in the undersurface of plank 84 for providing support for the legs 88 and 90. Pegs 104 and 106 on the undersurface of each of the planks 82 and 84 are arranged in a manner such that they will be accommodated in the horizontal portion 74 of the legs. The resultant arrangement is shown in Figure 2 wherein the bench portion including the planks 82 and 84 is supported at its two ends and center.

In the operation or utilization of this device, assuming the table is already in the position of Figure 2 and it is desired to be folded, the legs 88 and 90 are pivoted after the hooks 98 are released from apertures in the undersurface of the plank 84 so the legs assume a position on either side of the plank 84. The pegs 104 and 106 are removed from the apertures in the horizontal portions 74 of the legs and the planks are pivoted about the hinge connection 86 so they are adjacent.

The legs 44 and 46 may be pivoted about the pivotal connections 48 and 50 after the arms 52 have been released by pin 58 so as to converge toward each other at their lower portions. The housings 24 and 25 are then pivoted so the legs 44 and 46 fall within the peripheral walls 20 and adjacent the surface 14 as is shown in Figure 7. When this operation is performed on both surfaces, the bench portions may be placed on top of the folded legs as is shown in Figure 7. The flat surfaces may then be pivoted about the hinge connections 16 and 18 so that the peripheral walls of each surface contact, edge-to-edge, forming a volume therebetween which includes the folded legs and bench portions as is again indicated by Figure 7.

A pair of handles 110 and 112 are supported on the peripheral walls 20 and 22 exteriorly thereof. When the invention is in its folded condition as shown in Figure 1 the handles converge to cooperate so that the picnic table, which has been formed into a luggage-like structure, may be easily carried. Further, cooperating latch means are provided on the peripheral .walls 20 and 22 exteriorly thereof. The latch means are designated as 114 and adapted to maintain the luggage-like structure in a closed position.

It is contemplated that the construction of this invention be of aluminum, but however, any light, strong material would suflice and fall within the inventive concepts taught by this invention. The particular dimensions contemplated provide for the folded luggage-like structure shown in Figure 1 to be five inches thick, thirty-six inches long, and twenty-four inches high. However, it is again noted that the dimensions are subject to the dictates of the particular utilization. The dimensions noted comfortably seat six adults.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable picnic table comprising a first substantially rectangular fiat surface, a second substantially rectangular fiat surface, said surfaces terminally hinged to each other, a hinge axis formed between said fiat surfaces, a depending peripheral wall portion formed integral with each flat surface, hollow housings terminally, dependingly, and hingedly supported from each of said flat surfaces within the areas defined by said peripheral walls, hinge axis formed between said fiat surfaces and said housings, said hinge axis formed between the flat surfaces being parallel to the hinge axis formed between said fiat surfaces and said housings, said housings each pivotally supporting a pair of integral rigid legs and defining pivotal axes, said pivotal axes being perpendicular to said hinge axes and parallel to said flat surfaces, resilient latch means selectively communicating said legs with said housing and selective retaining means for cornmunicating said housing with said fiat surface, said legs including a first vertical portion, a second vertical portion, a horizontal portion connecting said vertical portions, said peripheral walls carrying handles exteriorally thereof, said walls further carrying cooperating latch means thereon for latching the respective fiat surfaces, one to the other.

2. In combination with the device of claim 1, a bench attachment, said attachment including a pair of terminally hinged planks, a pair of intermediate legs pivotally supported at said hinged connection, and means carried by said planks for affixing said planks on the horizontal portion of said integral rigid legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

